Loading...
August 17, 2006 - It's a wonderful life, deerThe Suffolk Times • August 17, 2006.9A It's a wonderful life, deer Our granddaughter Sara looks out over the same pasture we do, and last week she had one of the rare sights of nature, the birth of a baby fawn up on the back hill. Right after the mother gave birth to the little fawn, she licked it clean so there would be no trace of odor some predator might pick up, and when that was done, she left the newborn hidden in the tall grass and was gone. We were able to go up and see the ��■ baby fawn all FOGUS bedded down, not moving a ON muscle or even blinking an eye. NATURE The baby had learned the first by Paul lesson of sur- Stoutenbtlrgh vival: Lie down, stay put and never, never move. The light brown color and white dots acted as a per- fect camouflage. With the fawn lying motionless in the grass, one could easily pass it by. It's when it's moving that a dog or fox or other big animal would see it and only then would it be in danger. We were elated to think a fawn had been born right in our back pasture and we were able to get to see it so soon after. We took pictures and left quickly, but were concerned about how the fawn would get out of the pasture, because it couldn't jump the fence like the mother had done. But by late afternoon there was no sign of the little fawn. The mother must have come back during the day and lured it out of the pasture to an even safer place in the woods nearby. Over the next few weeks we were able to see the fawn with its mother going to and from its daily feeding. All this made me think about what that little fawn's life might be like as it grew up — and now my yellow pad comes out and here goes a sum- mer story for the young and young at heart... A fawn called Hoppy Now in the protection of the woods, the baby deer would run around, chasing anything that was there at the time. It chased a squirrel up a tree and ran after another baby deer that was running and jumping around, looking quite foolish. It could hop better than any other baby deer in the woods, so its mother named it Hoppy. Tune went by and Hoppy was learning all the things fawns have to learn if they are going to survive in their big, new, strange world. The most important thing Hoppy learned was to keep away from that hard, black surface called a road, where things called cars zoomed by. He heard tales of how some fawns didn't pay any attention to their mothers and one walked up and down one of those roads and a car came along and hit it. Luckily it was just a glancing blow, but it did teach that youngster not to play in the roads. When Hoppy heard that story he never went near the road again. Once he did get awfully scared when a great big dog came after him. He'd never seen a dog before and thought nothing of it until the dog snarled and showed his big white it W. f 1� ,r�"��.•�;�.3rc i�'.1 "+,, :rte$.. "� aft ! rtl a. d�' _.l ,A • �� ti t y .l 1. � � � . r .s. . ,� : * l�� :< t A ��,:.,,Ie •ry1�.� 'tA_, ,l, Ir w - +tl �+ ii�, V r l •L,i I h . 'Q T1 t > tai' i� /► i �+ .t . t hif �yr�, trh 1+ ,r. � �.�1!,�� .r .1 a ^n►�It`�� I 1'1 \•_,'4,'.. P1� .'L l•GId .1j Ay.' �i �! Suffolk Times photo by Barbara Stouantwn rca a rare treat to see a baby deer born and It's even a rarer treat to witness the event right In your own back yard. Nev- ertheless, that's just what happened when Sara looked out on our pasture and saw the blessed event taking place. teeth. Hoppy ran as fast as he could, but that dog ran just as fast. "What am I to do? Helpl Help! I'm going to be eaten by a big dog." Hoppy's heart was pounding as he ran and jumped, trying to get away from that big, vi- cious dog. Then Hoppy saw a chain link fence ahead. It was very high, but Hoppy was desperate, for he was just about done in. With all the strength in his little body, he leaped as high as he could and what do you think hap- pened? He cleared the fence by inches and left that ugly barking dog on the other side. That was a lesson he'd never forget, and whenever he spotted a dog, Hoppy would go in the opposite direction. As Hoppy grew, he followed his mother all the time — after all, she knew all the good spots to eat. She even knew how to get into Mr.Quigley's garden. As Hoppy said, "Did we have a feast there. It was like Thanksgiving, for there were all sorts of goodies — carrots, tomatoes, lettuce and flowers of all kinds and shapes.„ Hoppy didn't see Mr. Quigley coming up the walk to the garden, but his mother did. She knew all too well that they shouldn't be there, so a couple of switches of her big white tail told Hoppy to get up and get out of there as fast as he could. They were well on their way out when they heard a terrific "BANG!" and felt what seemed like giant stinging insects all about them. It was Mr. Quigley firing a shotgun at them as a warning to keep out of his garden. The stinging pellets from the gun did little damage, but they did send a message to Hoppy and his mother to keep out of Mr. Quigley's garden. One day — or was it one night, I can't remember — Hoppy was feeding on some tender young hon- eysuckle shoots when he realized he was all by himself Where was his mother? He looked all around. He even gave a couple of short snorts and stomped his feet and wiggled his white tail, all in hopes of finding his mother. Time went by and still there was no sign of his mother. The truth was, she had purposely left him, for it was time for him to be on his own. His mother had taught him all the lessons he needed to know so that he could make it in the big world waiting for him. Hoppy was very sad being by himself and having no one to talk to. He actually didn't even feel like eating. Being alone was no fun. Then one day he came across some deer feeding in the woods down by the bay. Perhaps he could join them. He worked his way slowly toward them. Their white tails started to move. That was a good sign. One of the deer, just about his age, winked its eye at him. Could it be he was be- ing accepted in the group? Each one of the deer looked him over and all agreed to let him join them. In time, Hoppy became very friendly with the deer that winked at him. Later, Hoppy would learn his new friend was a girt. They became great pals; they played together, they jumped together and did all sorts of things that deer do together. Hoppy We were elated to think a fawn had been born right in our back pasture. even had to fight another deer that wanted to join the group. This deer had big horns, but Hoppy's by now were even bigger, and so when the other deer tried to muscle in, it was chased away by Hoppy. His girlfriend beamed with pride, seeing Hoppy was so brave and strong. Winter came and it became harder and harder to find food. Often they would become so hungry they'd walk right up to someone's house and eat all the good- tasting shrubs. They knew they shouldn't be eating the shrubs, but what's a deer to do when all the woods where they could al- ways find something to eat were gone and now houses were built where once deer roamed and lived? As the days grew longer the snow and ice of winter melted and new green shoots appeared. How good they tasted! Hoppy's girlfriend was spending more time by herself. Per- haps it was because she had gotten much fatter. Then one day she was gone. Search as he could, Hoppy couldn't find her. What had happened was the mira- cle of birth: Hoppy's friend had given birth to a beautiful spotted fawn. And so you see, life's pitfalls along the way are only temporary. The real value in life is family, just as Hoppy found out when he became the proud father of a brand -new bundle of joy. Catch Paul Stoutenbutgh every week in TIMES /REVIEW NEWSPAPERS. The Suffolk Times • August 17, It' '" ryj l /�� N_ 0 T a "a. �1 g Vs w/ h1 n `i A�vr �'r�C i � �d v, 941 �� '•S 1" w.� V'V h.. a 1w p�i �t dl���m: '� � 4 }�� 'io �y { r 1�,,. V, -.ny. ina N •:. mh��t *•:'M' "� "'`�,�3 au µ na11� w � . m m"y ^4NMG a "rxp i, � � pn� tin � �,;� � � M� +�,��•�' �'iL j� 00, AP All pfy re •�ry.,�" g$q �-: ✓ iii' Zy , f E. r E IQ eer k& , Il fi'�d'.',�, °'� ■ � 11.W b I X pM 1 A is 4 ^y, � Ybh' l4 M ' i f 4 AWE n y'1 xy 0 , d ,wr. n l� ,u �. " � yp. Mx." � � w � *"' " � Yar�p� *v��. " "iy1� , m +"�' „� `� M'i ear' �l �d,,�,W a9'r "�n��lp", '��” ,. �a,"" n t �.t'; , +•,'^'"•qy�" " :+ n 1 n f r7b*� d ,> "%' + Tlnle$ photo w �,r w. SuL�lk p by Barbara Stoutenburgh It's a rare treat to see a baby deer born and it's even a rarer treat to witness the event right in your own back yard. Nev- ertheless, that's just what happened when Sara looked out on our pasture and saw the blessed event taking place. —our granddaughter Sara looks out pver the same pasture we do, and last veek she had one of the rare sights A nature, the birth of a baby fawn ip on the back hill. Right after the pother gave birth to the little fawn, ;he licked it clean so there would be no trace of odor some predator migh pick up, and when that was done, she left the newborn hidden in the tall grass and was gone. We. were able to go up and see the -baby Lawn an FOCUS bedded down, not moving a ON muscle or even blinking an eye. NATURE The baby had learned the first b Paul Y lesson of sur- Stoutenburgh vival: Lie down, stay put and never, never move. The light brown rnlnr and white dots acted as a per- fect camouflage. With the fawn lying motionless in the grass, one could easily pass it by. It's when it's moving that a dog or fox or other big animal would see it and only then would it be in danger. We were elated to think a fawn had been born right in our back pasture and we were able to get to see it so soon after. We took. pictures and left quickly, but were concerned about how the fawn would get out of the pasture, because it couldn't jump the fence like the mother had done. But by late afternoon there was no sign of the little fawn. The mother must have come back during the day and lured it out of the pasture to an even safer place in the woods nearby. Over the next few weeks we were able to see the fawn with its mother going to and from its daily feeding. All this made me think about what that little fawn's life might be like as it grew up — and now my yellow ad comes out and here goes a sum- mer story for the young and young al A fawn called Hoppy Now in the protection of the woods, the baby deer would run around, chasing anything that was there at the time. It chased a squirrel up a tree and ran after another baby deer that was running and jumping around, looking quite foolish. It souls hop better than any other baby deer in the woods, so its mother named it Hoppy. Time went by and Hoppy wa,, learning all the things fawns have to learn if they are going to survive in their big, new, strange world. The most important thing Hoppy learned was to keep away from that hard, black surface called a road, where things called cars zoomed by. He heard tales of'how some fawns didn't pay any attention to their mothers and one walked up and down one of those roads and a car came along and hit it. Luckily it was just a glancing blow, but it did teach that youngster not to play in the roads. When Hoppy heard that story he never went near the road again. Once he did get awfully scared when a great big dog came after him He'd never seen a dog before and thought nothing of it until the dog snarled and showed his big white _ We were elated to think a fawn had been born right in our back pasture. eet . Hoppy ran as fast as he could, but that dog ran just as fast. "What am I to do? Help! Help! I'm going to be eaten by a big dog." Hoppy's heart was pounding as he ran and jumped, trying to get away from that big, vi- cious dog. Then Hoppy saw a chain link fence ahead. It was very high, but Hoppy was desperate, for he was just about done in. With all the strength in his little body, he leaped as high as he could and what do you think hap- pened? He cleared the fence by inches and left that ugly barking dog on the other side. That was a lesson he'd never forget, and whenever he spotted a dog, Hoppy would go in the opposite direction. As Hoppy grew, he followed his mother all the time — after all, she knew all the good spots to eat. She even knew how to get into Mr.Quigley's garden. As Hoppy said, "Did we have a feast there. It was like Thanksgiving, for there were all sorts of goodies — carrots, tomatoes, lettuce and flowers of all kinds and Hoppy didn't see Mr. Quigley )ming up the walk to the garden, at his mother did. She knew all too ell that they shouldn't be there, so couple of switches of her big white it told Hoppy to get up and get it of there as fast as he could. They ere well on their way out when .ey heard a terrific "BANG!" and It what seemed like giant stinging sects all about them. It was Mr. uigley firing a shotgun at them as warning to keep out of his garden. ie stinging pellets from the gun message to Hoppy and his mother to keep out of Mr. Quigley's garden. One day — or was it one night, I can't remember — Hoppy was feeding on some tender young hon- eysuckle shoots when he realized he was all by himself Where was his mother? He looked all around. He even gave a couple of short snorts and stomped his feet and wiggled his white tail, all in hopes of finding his mother. Time went by and still there was no sign of his mother. The truth was, she had purposely left him, for it was time for him to be on his own. His mother had taught him all the lesson he needed to know so that he could make it in the big world waiting for him. Hoppy was very sad being by himself and having no one to talk to. He actually didn't even feel like eating. Being alone was no fun. Ther one day he came across, some deer feeding in the woods down by the bay. Perhaps he could join them. He worked his way slowly toward them. Their white tails started to move. That was a good sign. One of the deer, just about his age, winked its eye at him. Could it be he was be- ing accepted in the group? Each one of the deer looked him over and all agreed to let him join them. In time, Hoppy became very friendly with the deer that winked at him. Later, Hoppy would learn his new friend was a girl. They became great pals; they played together, they jumped together and did all sorts of things that deer do together. Hoppy even had to fight another deer that wanted to join the group. This deer had big horns, but Hoppy's by now were even bigger, and so when the other deer tried to muscle in, it was chased away by Hoppy. His girlfriend beamed with pri de, seeing Hoppy way so brave and strong. Winter came and it became harder and harder to find food. Often they would become so hungry they'd walk right up to someone's house and eat all the good - tasting shrubs. They knew they shouldn't be eating the shrubs, but what's a deer to do when all the woods where they could al- ways find something to eat were gone and now houses were built where once deer roamed and lived? As the days grew longer the snow and ice of winter melted and new green shoots appeared. How good they tasted! Hoppy's girlfriend was spending more time by herself. Per- haps it was because she had gotten much fatter. Then one day she was gone. Search as he could, Hoppy couldn't find her. What had happened was the mira- cle of birth: Hoppy's friend had given birth to a beautiful spotted fawn. And so you see, life's pitfalls along the way are only temporary. The real value in life is family, just as Hoppy found out when he became the proud father of r brand -new bundle of joy.